Glasflügel strikes mountain trees in a tight turn too close to the slope

The glider was destroyed and the pilot uninjured when it caught the treetops on a wooded mountain slope during a low turn. Thermalling in the mountains, the pilot edged toward another glider that seemed to be climbing better, flying in toward the massif and ever closer to the terrain. Judging himself too close, he began a tight left turn back toward the valley; in the turn the glider met strong sink of about 4 m/s and, with too little height in hand, caught the treetops. His attention on the other glider, he had let his clearance from the slope erode, and local mountain air over the broken terrain deepened the sink.

1. Thermalling in the mountains: After an aerotow release near 1,900 m, the pilot was thermalling in the mountains north of the Barcelonnette valley.
2. Closed on another glider's lift: Another glider seemed to be climbing better nearer the massif; the pilot flew in toward it and closer to the terrain.
3. Too close, late tight turn: Judging himself too close to the slope, he began a late, tight left turn back toward the valley.
4. Strong sink in the turn: In the turn the glider met strong sink of about 4 m/s and lost height it could not spare.
5. Caught the treetops: The glider caught the treetops on the wooded slope and was destroyed; the pilot was uninjured.